The Lt1 was put into a mainstream car. It did not produce the level of excitement the hemi does. Its absolutely marketing backed up by the fact that the product is actually a good engine.

 

The LT1 wasn't really all that great of an engine and the car it was placed in (the caprice) was a large full size car bigger than mainstream cars and was basically laughed at until the Impala SS was created. This was also what, 10 years ago?

If GM had an LS6 in a 30,000 dollar RWD sedan with contemporary styling do you think anyone would give a crap about a Hemi?

 

Huh? For its day the LT1 was a fantastic engine.

I'll agree that the bathtub styling of the Caprice didn't instantly strike the love/hate cord that the LX cars do....but it was a "mainstream car"...and it was also pretty comparable in size to the 300. They are/were both pretty large family sedans.

 

The 300 isn't that big of a car. The caprice was a foot and a half longer and 6" wider. I think at the time, it was the largest car you could buy in the US, which I wouldn't exactly consider "mainstream" even if it did happen to have 4 doors.

The LT1 was an okay engine, but not a great engine. 93-95 Camaros were barely faster than 5.0 mustangs from 6-8 years earlier, and weren't really faster than a lot of imported cars. LS1's on the other hand, they really were a powerhouse, and it's a crying shame GM hardly used them.

 

The LT1 was/is a great motor. The LT1 Fbody's were faster than a STOCK 5.0 Stang. I'd also like to know what type of import cars were faster than an LT1 Fbody at the same price? Where I think GM slipped up was offering less hp in the heavy B-body. Think of how much more awesome the Impala SS could have been with the aluminum head 300hp LT1 and a 330hp LT4.

Also forgot to mention that an LT1 completely rapes the 4.6 V8 joke Ford put into the Mustangs back in the 90's.

 

Ok, you are obviously drunk, you are excused

 

Okay. I'm obviously wrong. GM put one of the Top V8's ever into a successful mainstream car and was only unsuccessful because it didn't have a name like Hemi.

 

GM did sell ~70,000 b-body Impala SS's. Even though that was 10 years ago, these cars sell for ridiculus amounts of money. Check out some of the prices on ebay. I was wanting an Impala SS until I realized I could get my Z28 for the same price.
http://motors.listings.ebay.com/Chev...istingItemList

 

Probably because alot more people think the front end of a Magnum looks ALOT better than the front end of a GTO. A Camaro front end looked ALOT like the front end of a saturn or Sunfire (forget which car exactly) but no one was saying the Camaro was boring looking.

 

I agree with Werm totally . If the current Impala was RWD with a LS1 and actually looked like a cool car , or if the current GP was RWD and actually looked like a sweet ride .....that is the think here on GM's side of the fence . If the LS1 Holden Commodore woulda been the replacement for the Caprice back in the day ....if if if if . Chrysler did . If the new Hemi was simply called a magnum 5.7 , I'm pretty sure the title of this thread would be reading Magnum5.7 gets 65% take rate on Charger .

 

You see it does.

I mean any current production hemi vehicle. Those 4 door car are like 2 tons. They make a GTO look light.

Good statement. If GM had a chasis, a reardrive full size car, and optional 5.3 or 6.0 motors they would pick up on extra sales. BUT GM is all SUV.... every carline up they have has a SUV... half have reardrive and V8 options. BUICKs first V8 in years? SUV.

Actually the 93-97 camaro looked like the overgrown GEO STORM. The late models 98-02 had much better styling IMO.